Top 5 social media Super Bowl plans show that social media is slowing becoming the new Super Bowl ad.

This is a great article from Mashable on the smart things some brands are doing to goose the social media world as part of their Super Bowl communications strategy. With a $3 million price tag on the air time, plus the cost of production (typically $1 million+), leveraging social is a smart, obvious, and an incraesingly mandatory play. Hey, it ain’t just about the ad anymore.

See how Mercedes with their Tweet Race, Bud Light with their Facebook “guess the plot” game Unlock the Spot, Kim Kardashian ‘s private gym for Skechers, Pepsi’s iPad-specific ad, Kia, E*Trade, and VW just plopping their ads on YouTube have all pushed social networks more than ever. In the coming years, Super Bowl communications for brands in social spaces will become, like the Packers, a dynasty.